Conveyer for binding-machines.



G. R. STRICKLAND.

CONVEYER FOR BINDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 13. 19m.

Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

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G. R. STRICKLAND.

CONVEYER FOR BINDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 13, 1914.

hwb mfim Patented M11213, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET WEE- 55325 5i:

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CONVJEYER FOR BINDING-MACHINES.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented a is, rare.

Application filed April It, 191a. Serial No. 831,387.

To all whom itma concern:

Be it known t at l, Gnonon R. Simon- LAND, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and Stateof Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inConveyers for Binding-Machines; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Great difliculty is usually experienced with the conveying and elevatingmechanisms of self-binding harvesting machines, owing to the fact thatthe grain is sometimes lost between the respective mechanisms. Anotherserious defect has been the wedging or jamming of the stalks or straw atthe junction of the respective conveying and elevating mechanisms. It ismy intention to obviate these difliculties by constructing a mechanismwherein the stalks or straw are moved in proper position from thereceiving apron to the elevating means, and at no time are they actuallysupported upon the moving means proper, but only conveyed along thereby.Accordingly I mount the supporting apron over which the grain is movedby the conveying mechanism in a yieldable manner, and bridging theentlre space between the conveying and elevating mechanisms, so that inthe event of jam-- ming or wedging of the contents thereon, the supportyields an amount sufficient for the device to accommodate itself to theabnormal conditions, until the proper normal operating conditions arerestored. The grain is thus efiiciently handled without breaking orotherwise damaging the same or loss between the respective mechanisms,and without causing delays in the operation of the machine.

This invention relates to a conveying means and elevating mechanism foruse with a self-binding harvester wherein the grain is positivelysupported upon stationary means designed to support and permit an I easymovement of the grain thereover and associated with moving mechanismacting to convey and elevate the grain on the support to a properposition for discharge and binding.

It is an object of this invention to construct a device embracing aresiliently mounted stationary apron with conveying mechanism acting tomove grain therealong n a manner permitting the apron to yield n theevent of jamming or wedging of the gram.

It is also an object of this invention to construct a device in which ayieldably mounted and hingedly connected support is provided to receivethe grain thereon and conveying mechanism disposed above and below thesupport to co-act therewith to transfer the grain thereon and elevatethe same to a point of discharge.

It is also an object of this invention to construct a device wherein ayieldably mounted and hingedly connected apron provided with slots isassociated with convey- 1ng mechanism, the fingers of which projectthrough the slots acting to convey grain and with elevating mechanismadapted to move the grain upwardly to a point of discharge on saidapron. I

It is furthermore an object of this inven tion to construct a conveyingand elevating device for grain wherein the grain is at all timessupported upon a stationary apron, the parts of which are hingedlyconnected and yieldably mounted, permitting the grain moved thereover bythe conveying mechanism to be properly handled even in the event of asurplus quantity tending to become wedged at any point.

It is finally an object of this invention to construct a conveying andelevating mechanism consisting of few parts, and one wherein the grainin passing from the conveying to the elevating mechanism is sup portedby a yieldably mounted means acting to prevent jamming thereof at anypoint in its passage, and effectually bridging the space between therespectivemechanisms to prevent loss of any of the materialtherebetween.

The invention (in a preferred form) is I illustrated in the drawings andhereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a device embodying theprinciples of my invention. Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the apron used in my device. Fig. 4 is afragmentary plan view of the discharge I I prises the frame embracing afloor 1, an end wall 2, and side walls 3, a portion 4, of each of whichis extended upwardly on each side of the frame to afford supportingmeans for an elevating mechanism and also to prevent lateraldisplacement of the grain from the device. An apron section 5, providedw1th a plurality of longitudinal parallel slots 6, 1s supported at oneof 1ts ends upon the end Wall 2, and held releasably thereon by handscrews 7, engaging through slots 8, provided in the end of the apronintermediate sa d longitudinal slots 6. The other end of sa1d apronsection 5, is turned downwardly and pivotally connected to another apronsection 9, by a hinge 10, said apron section 9, curving downwardly fromsaid apron 5, and upwardly at an inclination corresponding substantiallyto the inclination of the extended wall portions 4.

The hingedly connected portions of the aprons 5 and 9, are yieldablysupported by spring elements 1.1, which are attached to the under curvedportion of the apron 9, and rest freely upon the floor 1, of the frame.At its upper end said apron 9, is hingedly connected to a short section12, by means 01 a hinge 13, said short section 12, being in turnhingedly connected to a slotted section 14, by means of a hinge 15, andsaid slotted section 14, resting upon an inclined discharge table 16,with bolts 17, engaged therein through said slots to hold said section14, slidably thereon. The upper end of said apron section 9, isyieldablysupported by spring members 18,which bear against the under surfacethereof and are secured beneath the discharge floor or table 16.

Mounted transversely of the frame and above the fioor 1, and beneath theapron sec tion 5,.are conveyer rollers 19 and 20, respectively, andtrained therearound is a con veyer 21, of any suitable constructionprovided with stops or fingers 22, which on the upper run of saidconveyer, project through the slots 6, in the apron section 5, acting tomove the grain received thereon. Similarly conveyer rolls 23 and 24,respectively, are journaled between the extended side Walls 4, of theframe, the one elevated above the .other, such that a conveyer 25,trained thereupon, is inclined with respect to the conveyer 21. Saidconveyer or elevating mechanism 25, is provided with stops or fingers26, similarly to the conveyer 1, already de. scribed, and the fingers onthe under run of the latter conveyer sweep above the apron section 9,acting to elevate the grain thereon by sliding the same upwardly to thepoint of discharge.

A gear 27, is secured upon one end of the roll 23, beyond the side Wall4, of the frame, and meshes with a gear 28, journaled upon a stud shaft29, mounted in said side wall. A sprocket wheel '30, is rigidly securedto said gear 29, and trained thereabout and about a sprocket wheel 31,rigidly secured upon the end of the roll 20, is a chain 32, which actsto transmit a drive, together with said intermeshing gears, between therespective conveying mechanism 21, and elevating mechanism 25. A driveto the gear 28, or roll 23,may be provided in any suitable manner, asfor instance, a gear mounted on and forming a part of the harvestingmachine may mesh with said gear 28.

In the modified type of my device illustrated in Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive,the construction is substantially the same with the exception that Ihave inserted an extra hingedly connected section 33, between the apron5, and the apron 9, thus obtaining a slightliy greater amount offlexibility to permit a justment without stressing the parts an undueamount.

The operation is as follows: The harvested grain is delivered upon thereceiving apron section 5, along which it is moved by the fingers 22,projecting through the slots in said apron, and discharged over and downthe curved end of said apron 5, upon the resiliently supported apronsection 9. Here the flax or other product, whatever it may be, isengaged by the fingers 26, forming a part of the elevating mechanism,which move the grain upwardly and over the sec tions 12 and 14, to thedischarge table or floor 16. It has been found in practice in othermachines that at such points as the lowerand upper end of the apron 9,that the material handled sometimes becomes jammed or wedged and isdamaged considerably in removing the same, and also causes a delay inthe operation of the device. Owing, however, to the resilient-support ofthe respective hinged ends of the apron 5 and 9, as indicated by thereference numeral 11, in the event of a surplus amount of grain, (or dueto any other conditions) causing a tendency of the grain to wedgebeneath the roll 24, the apron yields sufliciently until the normaloperating conditions are again automatically restored as the surplusamount of grain is carried away and discharged. Similarly, at the upperend of the apron section 9, the resilient supports 18, yield in theevent of a jamming or wedging of the grain taking place.

Among the chief advantages of this construction is the fact that theapron which bridges the entire space between the respective conveyingand elevating mechanisms seems to prevent loss of the grain which may beshelled out in the handling of the material, inasmuch as it is caught onthe apron and brushed or carried upwardly to the point of discharge,where a suitable receptacle to receive the same may be placed.

As already pointed out, the slotted apron section 5, is hingedlyconnected by means of the hinge 10, to the section 9, so that by turningthe hand screws 7, into a longitudinal position the apron may be swungupwardly, giving access to the conveyer 21, for repairs or any otherpurpose desired.

I am aware that various details of construction may be varied through awide range without departing from the principles of this invention. Itherefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise thannecessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described a slotted apron, conveyingmechanism projecting therethrough adapted-to move grain therealong, aninclined apron hingedly connected to said slotted apron, elevatingmechanism associated therewith to move rain therealong and upwardly to apoint 0 discharge, and a resilient support for said connected aprons.

2. In a device of the class described hingedly connected aprons, onehaving slots therein'and the other inclined therefrom, conveyingmechanism projecting through the slots in the one adapted to move graintherealong,. elevating mechanism mounted above the other inclined apronto move the grain upwardly thereon, a plurality of sections connected atthe upper end of said inclined apron and capable of movement therewith,and a resilient support for said aprons, permitting the same to yieldwith a jamming of grain thereon.

3. In a device of the class described hingedly connected and resilientlysupported aprons to receive material thereon, and conveying andelevating mechanisms associated therewith to transfer and elevate thematerial to a point of discharge.

4:. In a device of the class described conveying mechanism, elevatingmechanism,

driving connections therebetween, a slotted apron mounted above saidconveying mechanism adapted to support grain thereon with parts of theconveying mechanism prd jecting therethrough to move the graintherealong, and a curved and inclined hingedly connected sectional apronmounted beneath said elevating mechanism to receive the grain movedthereto by said conveying mechanism to support the grain while it iselevated to a point of discharge.

5. In a device of the class described hingedly connected and resilientlymounted aprons, and conveying and elevating mechanisms associatedtherewith to receive and transfer the material and elevate the same to apoint of discharge.

6. In a device of the class described a plurality of apron sections,resilient means yieldingly supporting one in position, the otherhingedly connected thereto, means releasably holding the latter inposition and permitting the same to be swung upwardly, and conveying andelevating mechanisms associated to cooperate with said apron to transferand elevate the grain to a point of discharge.

7. In a device of the class described a frame, a slotted apronreleasably supported thereon, a curved inclined apron resilientlymounted on said frame, an apron section hingedly connected to saidslotted section and said inclined section permitting relative movementtherebetween, and elevating and conveying mechanism associated therewithto transfer and elevate the grain to a point of discharge.

8. In a device of the class described conveying and elevatingmechanisms, a continuous linked supporting means for a material to behandled associated therewith and bridging the space therebetween, and aplurality of spring elements underneath said supporting means to permitmovement thereof.

9. A device of the class described comprising an independent conveyingmechanism, an independent elevating mechanism spaced therefrom, andremovable sectional supporting means for material handled by the deviceassociated with said mechanisms and bridging the space therebetween toprevent loss of material passing from the field of operation of one, tothat of the other of said mechanisms.

10. In a device of the class described the combination with a pluralityof simultaneously actuated conveyers, of a continuous removably securedhingedly connected sectional apron, adapted for receiving and supportingmaterial transferred by said conveyer and resilient supporting membersbelow said apron adapted to take up excess stress thereon.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof tw subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE R. STRIOKLAND.

Witnesses:

CHARLES W. HILLS, Jr., FRANK K. HUDSON.

